


Breaking the Ice

by Ciaossu



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Others are mentioned but not really relevant, Pre-Relationship, References to Tabris origins, bad elf jokes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-15
Updated: 2016-09-15
Packaged: 2018-08-15 02:59:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8039830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ciaossu/pseuds/Ciaossu
Summary: Zevran stilled in his task. He raised his head and stared back blankly at her. When he managed to regain himself a heartbeat later, it was with a scoff and a condescending smile. "Quite astute of you. The observational skills of Grey Wardens clearly leave no rock unturned."





	Breaking the Ice

The fire burned in the quiet camp, night finally gracing them with its presence after a long day of travelling. After stopping the demonic threat in the circle tower, they had left for the last known location of the Dalish. An attack by a gang sent by Loghain had caught them off guard, but they had dealt with the threat easily enough. When they set up camp for the night most of the battered and bruised group had been eager to head to sleep. Aliyah had felt no such pull, still wide awake and thrumming with energy, and had volunteered to take the first shift of guard duty. The suggestion had been met with little resistance, and now her companions all slept soundly. Except for their newest addition.

Aliyah shifted, legs crossed, as she kept her green eyes trained on the assassin across the fire. He was just as beaten as the others, that was certain. There was a bruise blossoming on his face from what she could only assume had been Alistair's pommel landing the blow that had rendered him unconscious. Wynne had assured her that she had, reluctantly, taken care of any damage done to him, but it seemed the Mage had not been feeling benevolent enough to deal with the superficial damages. She supposed the magic was the reason he was still awake as well. The rejuvenating effects had their own downsides as well. The dark tattoos caught her attention, and her eyes followed down the side of his face until she was sidetracked by a flick of pointed ears.

"You know, dear Grey Warden." His voice reminded her that she's been staring, and her eyes snapped back to meet his. Zevran watched her now, clearly amused. "If you continue to stare at me so long, I cannot help it if I come to certain...conclusions. And, well, I'm sure you wouldn't want to tarnish your _wonderful_ reputation."

She ignored him. Taunts were hardly something that bothered her anymore. She continued to watch him. The light of the flames flickered off their mutually glowing eyes. After a while, Zevran gave up and returned to his task at hand with a shrug. She should probably feel more concerned, she mused, gaze dropping to the knives he was busy cleaning. Her own daggers rested at her side and she certainly wouldn't have time to stop him from lodging one in her skull if he really tried. She accepted it though. Better she die early in their quest when she was still replaceable than risk becoming important and letting everyone else down.

"You're an elf." She said, breaking the quiet that had settled over the two.

Zevran stilled in his task. He raised his head and stared back blankly at her. When he managed to regain himself a heartbeat later, it was with a scoff and a condescending smile. "Quite astute of you. The observational skills of Grey Wardens clearly leave no rock unturned."

Aliyah ignored him again. He moved to return to his task but she wasn't finished. "You're an elf and you aren't in an alienage." She continued. The assassin waited, ears perked. She had his attention. "How did you avoid that?"

This time when the two sat in silence, it was Zevran who was withholding his reply. Aliyah continued to watch him. He chuckled, genuine and with a bitterness that was not unfamiliar, as he shook his head. "You aren't in one either." He noted. He placed down his daggers and leaned forward. She noted he was leaning more on one leg. Seems he wasn't as healed as she thought. "How did you get out?"

She frowned. Immediately, she was reminded of what felt like a lifetime ago. Her mind flashed through dark hallways and a sense of dread and sobs of horror that echoed in her ears. Rage and disgust flashed through her, her own nails bit into her palms, but before she could snap something rude back, she was cut off by a wave of his hand. "Equally tragic and depressing stories, I'm sure. Not fit for a friendly conversation between new friends. No need to dwell on the unpleasant now, yes?"

The dismissal caught Aliyah off guard. She was used to prying and needling, however well intentioned it may have been. She wasn't used to being allowed to let something drop and although the pain of the memory was still fresh, the anger was easier to push away with the subject, just this once. "Good guess."

Zevran smirked and shrugged. "Experience. Which you seem to be lacking, my dear." He wiggled his eyebrows in the most ridiculous fashion, and Aliyah couldn't stop the snort that escaped her. His smirk grew more cocky and she rolled her eyes in response. "Surely you've seen other elves outside your alienage since you started travelling?"

No longer amused, her frown returned as she thought back on her strangely won freedom. Although with the task she had thrust upon her, it felt like the same life with a much larger cage. "Briefly." She answered. "Mostly in passing. And the treatment hardly seems any different from before."

It was different in the wardens, Alistair had insisted when she commented on her observation early in their travels. They were all equals there; dwarf, human, elf, didn't matter. Well, wasn't like she had had much of a chance to see if that was really true.

Zevran on the other hand was nodding along to what she had said. "No, I suppose the chances for exploration are limited in your circumstances."

Aliyah hummed absently. Her eyes finally trailed away from Zevran to watch the fire between them. The pace had been constant from the moment she'd been taken from her home. Change and routine at the same time, and while the novelty of new sights still entranced her attention as they went, she couldn't help but long for something familiar. She missed the comforting presences of those from her alienage, even that small gang of boys who had tried to tease her when she was young. At the very least, a companion who wasn't human would be nice to see. Sten, of course, had been a refreshing change, but the man was still so foreign to anything she had ever known.

Zevran had shifted closer to her side while she was distracted. The sudden sight of him in her peripheral jostled her back to the moment and her hands had instinctively flown to the weapons at her sides. He stopped and held up empty hands to show he meant no harm. The sheepishness on his face was enough to give her pause. She nodded for him to proceed and he smiled back. "Would you like to hear a joke?"

"A...joke?"

"Yes!" Zevran chuckled and rubbed his hands together. "A friend of mine from back home told it to me. One of these," he gestured conspiratorially between the two of them. "Elf types, similar to you and I." He proceed to make a show of looking around at their sleeping companions to confirm that they were, in fact, still asleep before leaning in. "Do you know why humans have such rounded ears?" He whispered.

To her surprise, Aliyah found herself leaning in as well. "Why?"

His smile widened. "It is because they can never get the point."

Aliyah snorted and pulled away with her own amused smirk. Was that all he had to impress her? She'd heard countless versions of that joke whispered over drinks in the alienage on the nights no humans came to bother them. She thought a moment before smiling mischievously. "What's the difference between a human arl and a nug?"

It was Zevran's turn to watch her now, which he did for a brief moment. "Why?" He asked, clearly pleased to see the fearsome Grey Warden playing along to his little game.

Aliyah shrugged, putting on a mocked air of indifference. "Don't know. When you figure it out, I'd be delighted if you could tell me."

The laugh Zevran let out was loud enough to cause Sten to stir, but he quickly managed to tamper it down. "Oh, now there is the delightful wit I was certainly at least one of the Wardens had to have. I was beginning to worry Alistair was the best you had. That would have been unfortunate." He said, letting out a pleased sigh. Aliyah herself let out a quick laugh. She liked his smile, she realized. It was warm when it was genuine like that.

"Alright, now to best that..." Zevran frowned as he thought. "What do humans fear more than the blight?"

"An elf on their throne?" She suggested.

"...I was going to simply say an elf with the blight, but that is just as good."

Aliyah smiled. This was different. It was far different from home, but this moment had its own kind of familiarity she hadn't felt in a while. And with the world falling apart and everyone expecting her to fix it, she would take whatever bits of familiarity she could find.

"So, a human walks into an alienage..."

**Author's Note:**

> In my head, this is titled "Aliyah and Zev bond over shitty jokes."
> 
> I still think it's bull that we only got one elf companion in Origins. Where are my elves? I demand a fleet of elf friends??? And I figured my Tabris wouldn't deal well with that either.
> 
> I might make a series with my Warden. I know if I ever sit down and write stories for my Hawke and Inquisitor, they're gunna reference previous games, so I'd like to write more about the three. Hopefully I stay motivated enough to actually do that.


End file.
